Applauding Sunsets. Required.

An Adventure in Hiding Things

The girls arrived home from their respective campus job-related activities the day before Thanksgiving with 2 hours of daylight left!

This miracle does not happen often. Especially less frequently as the number of available daylight hours tick ever downward.

Jazz & I greeted them at the door in time to pick up on a half baked plan to drive up to Hirundo Wildlife Refuge and walk the trails before dark.
The 4 p.m. hour of falling blackness was pointed out.
It was agreed we must make haste.
Even as someone piddled away valuable minutes of lightness upon learning dogs were not welcome in an animal refuge.
And there were no Letterboxes to be discovered.
(I want to hide 2!)

"Fine. I'm Not Going."
Familiar somehow.

But this time successfully coaxed out of a funk and into the car.
And we were away.
For a 15 minute drive to one of those places right in our own backyard.
Too often forgotten about.
Overlooked as a possibility.
...when there's Nothing To Do.

I haven't been there since Tom and I hiked some of the trails when we first began looking for outdoor things to do together. In 1980.

I stuffed my coat pockets with camera, trail map and pen.
Plus the 2 Letterboxes all set to be hidden in the perfect place.
I hadn't decided where yet.
Several locations have been considered and discarded in recent weeks.
But I was certain I would know it when I saw it!

Our hiking adventure included wet feet and much puddle jumping thanks to the recent heavy rains.
A few girlie poses for the camera along the way.
And the perfect hiding spots were found for our newest Letterboxes released into the wild!

Along with a standing ovation of the setting sun.

This is a Stephani sanctioned procedure.
Participation mandatory. But why wouldn't you want to?
Everyone must applaud the setting sun.
With feeling. Like you mean it.
You will get The Look (while she applauds) if you have not responded in kind and in a timely fashion.
Why wouldn't you want to, indeed.

It was a great adventure!
I give thanks for the awesome memory of our afternoon together that lingers still.

Why aren't you out there Letterboxing?
I know where a couple of really cool ones are hiding!

View from across the river.

Indian Trail Park

New Letterboxes are hidden in Brewer;
2 of 3 found due to very slippery slope covered with rain soaked oak leaves.

Oh, YES WE DID!

We are ONE NATION. Again.

Did you forget to breathe today?

I kept the TV off for most of the day.

As the sun started to set I went for a walk, trying to capture the image. Without a house or a passing car.

Seen through the trunks of beech trees; dried leaves holding on for a new season...

Let the healing begin.